Fulfilling A Promise
by AngelSG86
Summary: When a young Lieutenant is killed in action, Sheppard is determined to keep the promise he made to the man as he died. Contains a death scene, obviously.


**Title:** Fulfilling a Promise

**Author:** AngelSG86

**Disclaimer:** "Stargate Atlantis" and other related characters belong to their copyright holders. No infringement is intended. This story, such as it is, was written as a sign of respect and love for the characters, the series, and their creator. I claim no ownership of the aforementioned series and characters. However, the original characters belong to me.

**Rating:** Not suitable for children or teens below the age of 16 with possible strong but non-explicit adult themes, references to violence, and strong coarse language. Contains death scene

**Summary:** When a young lieutenant dies on the battlefield, he asks a favor of Sheppard. Sheppard is determined to keep his promise.

**Feedback: **Comments and constructive criticism are always welcome.

**Fulfilling a Promise**

_Prologue_

Major John Sheppard knelt down beside Lieutenant Adam Fielding. The handsome, young soldier was badly injured and they both knew he wouldn't last much longer. John grasped his hand and spoke to him soothingly,

"You'll be alright, Fielding. Just hang on." The lieutenant tried to smile, but his face contorted in pain. His CO's head bowed as he realised the seriousness of the young man's injuries.

"Major, I know I'm dying. There's no need to lie to me. Just," gasped Adam breathlessly as pain overtook him, "just please, I need you to do something for me."

"Anything." The Major promised as he took off his jacket and put it under the lieutenant's head. He quickly covered the bleeding injuries with gauze and settled down more comfortably on the ground before giving Adam some pain medication. Then he opened his water bottle and put some into the injured man's mouth. "What can I do for you?" the concerned Major asked.

"A few months ago, when we were first exploring other planets, I met someone. A girl." Adam began to explain, "we became pretty close in the short time we were there." He looked up nervously at his CO, scared of a reprimand. They'd always been told not to fraternise. Major Sheppard just gave the lieutenant a kind smile and encouraged him to go on. Adam breathed in deeply before continuing, "Well, when I returned a couple of months later, we, you know…" Major Sheppard looked at him with a confused expression on his face before the realisation hit him,

"Oh, You…" he asked, before trailing off, slowly nodding his head, "okay. So, what did you want me to do?" Adam looked into the eyes of his CO, trying to gauge his reaction and measuring up whether the Major could be trusted before continuing,

"Well, we went back a few weeks ago and I went to see her again. I'd, umm, I'd fallen in love with her. I decided I wanted to marry her and bring her to Atlantis. She has a great knowledge of the Ancient language and their technology. I figured we could hire as a linguist or something," Adam recalled. "We spent the day together, walking through the woods and catching up. I proposed to her at sunset and outlined my plans. She surprised me by revealing that she was…pregnant." The lieutenant smiled at the memory and Major Sheppard's eyes widened in shock.

"She was pregnant?" he asked. "Wow. You seem surprisingly happy about it. I mean, how well do you know this girl?" Adam chuckled softly,

"I knew all I needed to know. I loved her and I was thrilled to find out we'd be having a child," Adam revealed. "We spoke with her parents and made all the arrangements. The wedding was supposed to be next week. I planned to ask permission from you and Dr. Weir straight away but then things have been chaotic at Atlantis and I haven't had a chance yet." He coughed and grimaced from the pain. Major Sheppard put a supportive hand on his shoulder,

"Just relax. I'm sure you would've found a way before it was too late." Sheppard reassured him. "So, you want me to go see her? Tell her what happened." Adam grabbed Sheppard's hand with both of his and pleaded with him,

"You have to bring her back to Atlantis. She is suffocating on that planet. I know she's intelligent and there was nothing for her there. She needs stimulation, a challenge. Promise me, Major, promise you'll get her and my child and let them live in Atlantis." He begged as his body began to give up on him. Tears began to fall down his face, he gasped. Major Sheppard looked into the young man's eyes and made a pledge to him,

"I promise you, I will find her and bring her back to Atlantis. Trust me," Sheppard's head fell as he held the dying man in his arms, "I promise" he murmured as Lieutenant Adam Fielding's eyes closed, peacefully.

_Three weeks later_

After three busy weeks of fighting the wraith and contending with the Genii, Major Sheppard finally had time to fulfil his promise to Lieutenant Fielding. However, it wasn't going as easily as he had planned. He approached Doctor Elizabeth Weir about it and they then proceeded to have a heated argument about it,

"We have better things to do, Major." She maintained, "I feel for him but right now our priority is protecting ourselves against the Wraith." Major Sheppard's eyes flashed in anger.

"It's already been three weeks, Elizabeth. They were supposed to get married two weeks ago." Sheppard said.

"The Wraith could be on their way to Atlantis as we speak. For all we know, her planet may have been taken already." Elizabeth replied.

"I promised him, Doctor Weir. And I'm not going to break that promise." He stood up and walked out of the office. She sighed in frustration and followed him out. As she met up with him in the hallway, she went on the offensive,

"You said he didn't tell you her name or even which planet she was from. How do you plan on finding her?" demanded Weir, "I'm not going to waste time and resources." Major Sheppard turned around and looked her straight in the eyes,

"All we have to do is question his roommate and team-mate, Lieutenant Roberts. He's been with Fielding on every mission. Surely he'll know something." suggested Sheppard. Weir sighed heavily,

"Fine, okay. But I'm only approving you to check out one planet and only for two days. And only if your team volunteers for the mission." Weir hated giving in, but she'd prefer to be able to impose a few of her own conditions rather than have him take over the whole thing. Sheppard smiled and nodded thankfully before heading off to find Roberts and convince his team to accompany him.

Lieutenant Roberts sat in the cafeteria with a cup of coffee. He'd heard that Major Sheppard wanted to speak with him and he was incredibly nervous. However, it must be a relatively informal conversation as the meeting was here rather than in the offices. He lifted up the cup and drained it in one gulp before standing up to refill it. Just as he sat down again, Major Sheppard and Lieutenant Ford walked into the room, he jumped up to salute his superior officers but they waved off the gesture and asked him to sit down again. The two soldiers sat down opposite him. Major Sheppard spoke first,

"You're not in any trouble, Lieutenant." he told the anxious young man.

Lieutenant Ford decided it might be less intimidating if he asked the questions. "We just wanted to ask you a few questions about Lieutenant Fielding. We understand you guys shared a room and were on the same team."

Roberts looked up as a look of relief crossed his face, before saying sadly, "Yeah. We were good friends. What did you want to know about him?" Lieutenant Ford looked over at Major Sheppard before asking the question,

"Well, he told Major Sheppard about a girl that he was planning to marry. You know anything about that?"

"Of course I did, I was supposed to be the best man at the wedding." Roberts drank some of his coffee.

"We need you to tell us which planet she was from. And her name, if you know it," Ford requested. Next to him, Major Sheppard sat back in his chair, arms crossed, facial expression indecipherable. Lieutenant Roberts thought hard before answering,

"She's on M7S-514. Her name is Rebecca Martin. She's a sweet girl. More suited to Adam than me," Roberts hastily added. He drew the gate address on a piece of paper and handed it to Ford, Ford took the paper and added the planet's designation and the young woman's name before leaning back on his chair and motioning for Roberts to tell them more. Roberts sighed and rubbed his hands through his hair as he attempted to recall the mysterious young woman. "She was about, oh, 19 maybe. She's not stunningly gorgeous but she is pretty, with these deep blue eyes that are really expressive. Her parents were a nice, friendly couple. They were quite proud of her; she's quite smart and seems to have a good grasp of the Ancient language and an immense knowledge of their technology and the like. That's why Adam felt you would accept his proposal of bringing her back here. He talked it over with me on our last mission together. Their culture and technology is fairly primitive. Any knowledge they had came from visitors through the gate. And it seems she's been through the gate a few times as well, with her father. He was a trader. I was actually the first one to meet her. She was a bit shy at first but when I introduced her to Adam, they immediately clicked and she opened up a lot more. The two of them chatted away for hours." Throughout this speech, Major Sheppard leant forward and put his elbows on the table, mesmerised by Roberts's description of Rebecca. As Roberts finished up, Sheppard got up from his seat, thanking the helpful young marine and leaving the cafeteria, Ford trailing after him. The two friends and team-mates walked together silently towards Weir's office, Ford handing Sheppard the piece of paper with the gate address on it. When they reached the door, Sheppard unceremoniously strode into the office and slammed the paper down onto Weir's desk, before stepping back and standing at attention next to Ford. Weir looked up in surprise and reached for the paper,

"What is the meaning of this? You can't come storming into my office whenever you feel like it Major," she reprimanded him.

"We know where she is. I have a gate address. My entire team has volunteered for the mission and I request permission to leave immediately." The Major tried to remain calm and respectful but inside he was impatient and frustrated, wanting to leave as soon as possible. Weir could see this, and despite her doubts, she reluctantly approved the mission. Sheppard thanked her heartily and ran out of the room excited and raring to go. Ford and Weir exchanged a knowing look before Ford left.

Doctor McKay stood in the puddle-jumper next to Teyla, they were both geared up and ready to go. Major Sheppard and Lieutenant Ford walked in, discussing what Roberts had told them. They greeted Teyla and McKay and all four turned to see Dr. Beckett jogging in, fixing the straps on his backpack as he stopped in front of them. Sheppard looked at him in confusion,

"Going somewhere Doctor?" he asked. Beckett looked at him pointedly and nodded,

"I'm coming with you. This girl is pregnant and likely feeling incredibly distressed following the circumstances." He replied. Major Sheppard sighed in frustration, looking over at Weir. She smiled, knowing his annoyance and still smarting from his blatant disrespect towards her in regards to this mission.

"I didn't even want to approve this mission, Major. But if Doctor Beckett wants to accompany you, you have left me no choice. Have fun Doctor." She said with a sense of satisfaction. Sheppard glared at her, knowing her true intentions. He then turned to his team, including Beckett and addressed them,

"You all know what we're doing. We owe it to Lieutenant Fielding to keep his promise to his fiancée and bring her and their unborn baby back to Atlantis. We'll head towards the village first. And keep in mind, none of these people know he's dead yet so try to be tactful. Oh and remember, the wedding was supposed to be weeks ago so she and her family might be a little pissed." Sheppard added as the thoughts entered his head. His team nodded impatiently, McKay sighed with irritation,

"Let's get on with it. I have important experiments to conduct and research to do." He said. Sheppard rolled his eyes and gestured to his team,

"Let's move out! Goodbye Dr. Weir" he said as she stepped out of the jumper and he activated the controls.

The jumper was parked in a clearing and the team were walking towards the village. Sheppard noticed a pathway leading towards the woods and walked over to have a closer look, the rest of his team following behind. As the pathway became closed over by trees, an interesting set of footprints caught his eye. He told the rest of the team to continue on to the village and he would check out the woods. Ford protested,

"Sir, are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" he asked. Sheppard declined the offer and headed off, instructing them to keep in contact and check in as soon as they reached the village and got any information. Teyla nodded,

"It will only take us ten minutes to reach the village. We can always come back to help Sheppard." She replied. Sheppard waved goodbye as he walked into the woods. The rest of the group continued towards the village. Beckett watched Sheppard go, with a puzzled expression on his face,

"Isn't it dangerous for him to go off alone? Not to mention against regulations." He asked Ford, who was walking alongside him. Ford shrugged. Coming up behind them, McKay entered the conversation,

"You know Sheppard, heroic until the end. He seems to be under the impression he can find her better than the rest of us." McKay said. Teyla smiled fondly,

"Major Sheppard merely feels a responsibility to Lieutenant Fielding to find the young woman," she explained. They continued walking towards the village.

As they reached the outskirts, a young boy came running up to them, recognising their uniforms and weapons. He grabbed Dr Beckett's hand and eagerly dragged him into the village. As the group passed houses, people stared at them curiously through their windows before looking away in disgust. They finally reached the village centre and the boy ran off, returning shortly with a group of middle-aged adults. They chastised the excited youngster and sent him away before turning their attention to the intruders. McKay and Ford smiled amiably, unsure of the reception they would receive. The villagers stared at them for several more anxious minutes before one finally spoke up,

"How dare you people show your faces here after what you did?" he yelled. The team stepped back, alarmed. Sheppard had warned them this might happen but they were still surprised. Beckett took the initiative and stepped forward, hands out in a non-threatening gesture of goodwill,

"We beg your pardon, sir. But what have we done?" he gently asked, although he knew the answer. The villager who had yelled at them turned his gaze to Beckett and growled his answer,

"Your people have bought shame to this village and my family." He turned his back to the group and stormed off. Beckett called him back,

"Wait, let us explain, please." He implored, "Lieutenant Fielding had full intentions to return and fulfil his vows. Unfortunately, he was involved in a battle several weeks ago and he…sustained serious injuries and didn't make it." Beckett finished. The two men faced off, each searching the other's eyes for the truth. Beckett's honesty and sincerity shined through and the other man gestured for them to follow him to a house. At the door, he explained,

"I am Rebecca's uncle, James Martin. This is her house, please come in and meet her parents." He held the door open and waved them in. as they entered the main room, a middle-aged couple stood up in surprise. James smiled good-naturedly and the couple visibly relaxed. They politely showed the team to seats and the three citizens went into the kitchen to get tea. When they had left the room, the couple immediately began to grill James; the woman was quite upset,

"How can you bring them into our house, after all they have done?" she hissed. James put a reassuring hand on her arm,

"It's okay, calm down Lila. They explained what happened. Just be courteous and they will tell you the story." James said soothingly. Lila reluctantly nodded to her husband, indicating they will trust James and therefore the strangers. Her husband Tom gave her a supportive hug and they returned to the room. They poured out tea for all their guests before sitting down to hear about their daughter's fiancée. The guests all stole glances at each other before silently electing Dr Beckett to be their spokesperson,

"I am sorry about this misunderstanding. Lieutenant Fielding had every intention of coming back to marry your daughter. Unfortunately, about three weeks ago, he was involved in a major battle. When attempting to protect several villagers, he was fatally wounded. There was nothing we could've done." Dr Beckett gently explained. Lila softly sobbed, the implications of his words dawning on her. Tom and James both put their arms around her shoulders and whispered comforting words into her ear. Their guests looked uncomfortable, not sure what to do. Lieutenant Ford cleared his throat,

"Ahem. Umm, so where is Rebecca? Would you prefer to tell her or would you like us to?" he offered. Lila sobbed harder as Tom and James looked over at each other as a realisation hit them. Beckett softly spoke up,

"Is there a problem? We're really sorry." he asked gently. James stood up, gesturing reassuringly as Tom led Lila into their bedroom.

"It's not your fault but uhh, well yes, there is a problem." James ran his hands through his hair and sighed. "This morning, we woke up and…Rebecca was gone. She left a note saying she couldn't take all the sympathy and pity anymore and she had to get away. She insisted we leave her be and she'll be back when she's ready. We decided to trust her and not follow her, at least not for a few days. She can look after herself. I hope. If you want to remain here, I can arrange for a place to stay." He began to clear up the dishes, making it clear the conversation was over. The team stood up and politely farewelled James.

Outside on the street, they all looked at each other hopelessly. Ford was the first to speak,

"Should we at least try to find out where she might be?" he suggested. McKay shrugged. Beckett made the proposal that they ask around before making a decision as to their next move. They split up, Ford and Beckett going one way and McKay and Teyla going another way, agreeing to meet up in twenty minutes.

Meanwhile, Major Sheppard was making his way down a beaten path in the woods. He was just about to radio Ford for a situation report when he heard a rustle in the bushes to the left in front of him. It sounded louder than a small animal. He lifted up his weapon and cautiously entered the foliage. To his surprise, there was nobody there, however there were footprints leading away from him and further into the trees. Sheppard weighed up whether to follow the footprints, he knew it was risky because they could've been made by anyone, but his gut told him that he needed to follow them. Sheppard's military nature took over then, telling him he must radio Ford first and apprise him of the situation. He thumbed his radio,

"Ford, come in, it's Sheppard." He said. Immediately, his radio crackled into life, Ford's voice coming through loud and clear,

"Hey Major. What's happening?" came Ford's ready reply.

"Just wanted to let you know I've found some footprints here and so I'm going off the track. I'm about 1 click east of where I entered the woods. I followed a path for most of it." Sheppard explained. "Did you find Rebecca?" This time there was a pause before Ford replied,

"Uhhm, we found her family and told them what had had happened. But, uhh, it seems Rebecca has…gone missing." Ford tentatively added. As he expected, Sheppard exploded,

"What do you mean 'missing'? How does she go missing in a place like this?" Sheppard ranted.

"Well, she's not missing but she has sort of, run away. Her family found a note from her this morning telling them she had to get away. She insisted she'd be fine and not to follow her," Ford assured his superior officer. At this point, Beckett chose to interrupt,

"We have spoken to several of her neighbours and they said it is highly unlikely she would've gone through the Stargate because she considered that to be the cause of all her trouble. The only other place she could've gone is into the woods." Beckett concluded. Sheppard pondered this piece of information. Before he could say anything, Ford interrupted his line of thought,

"Sir, her family offered to help us find a place to stay." Ford informed him, "but it's up to you. We could just return to Atlantis and come back in a few…"

"No! We are not returning without her," Sheppard interrupted, "we are going to complete our mission, no matter what it takes." Ford and Beckett looked at each other and shrugged, Beckett reluctantly thumbing his radio,

"We'll meet up with the others and arrange accommodation for the night. Meet us back here before nightfall. That still gives you a few more hours." Beckett suggested. Sheppard agreed and they all signed off. Sheppard began to head into the woods, following the footprints. After about ten metres of bushes and trees, he came to another path, parallel to the first. The footprints seemed to lead back towards the village so he got onto the path, heading back west.

Back at the village, the others met up outside what appeared to be an inn. It seemed that the message that they were good had passed throughout the village quickly. As they shared what they learned, it quickly became clear that Rebecca was probably inside the same woods that Sheppard was exploring. They decided to go into the inn and inquire about rooms for the night. The owners of the inn were a middle-aged couple who recognised them and said that James had been to see them and had already arranged payment for several rooms. Beckett tried to refuse that offer, saying that they could pay for themselves but the owners were adamant that James had insisted on making the arrangements. Reluctantly, they accepted the rooms and took the opportunity to take their stuff upstairs and dump the more burdensome equipment. They also attempted to work out the sleeping arrangements. They had been given three rooms, each sleeping 2 people. It was obvious that Teyla would have a room of her own, then McKay and Beckett decided to share, leaving Ford to share with Sheppard. With that all sorted, they headed back out into the village to mingle with the locals and find out more about their culture.

They came across the local school, which was just finishing for the day. Dozens of students streamed out onto the street. At the sight of the visitors from Atlantis, one of the young teachers approached them. She was quite young, so young in fact that the visitors were surprised when she introduced herself as one of the teachers. Her name was Darcy and she revealed that she was Rebecca's best friend. She was worried about Rebecca,

"She was in a really bad way. Not just emotionally but also she was incredibly ill from the baby." Darcy revealed. Beckett noticed the worry in all of the others' faces and hurried to reassure them,

"Its morning sickness, perfectly normal. It will pass in time." He informed them. He then turned to Darcy, "Do most pregnant women here not have any sickness?" Darcy sighed before replying,

"Well, yes, but never as bad as poor Rebecca. Hers seems to happen at all times of the day, not just morning sickness as you called it." She explained. "I worry about her health, out there alone. She hid how bad she was to her family. She didn't want to give them any more cause for concern. She felt very over-protected. That is part of the reason she left." Although Beckett had initially been unconcerned, he was now a little worried.

"Do you know whether she took adequate food and water?" he asked Darcy. Darcy shrugged, unsure.

"I doubt it; it seemed to be a spur of the moment decision. I don't think she took anything. You'd have to ask James." Darcy suggested. She then told them she had to go and returned into the school. The others pondered whether to bother James again, but were saved from making that decision when James himself walked up to the group. He spoke first,

"Hello there. Decided to stay, I hear." He said amicably. Beckett replied first,

"Aye. Thank you for arranging our accommodation. Are you sure we can't reimburse you?" he asked. James shook his head. "So, uhh, we had a few questions for you, if you don't mind?" Beckett continued. James gestured for him to go ahead,

"Sure. I came to help you out. Lila is still upset but I'm more than willing to offer any assistance. I just want what's best for Rebecca." James said. Lieutenant Ford took over the questioning,

"We spoke to her friend, Darcy, and she mentioned that Rebecca had been unwell. We wondered if you noticed whether she had taken any food or water with her." Ford asked. James thought hard before responding,

"I'm not sure. She didn't take any clothing, we checked. But she could've taken a small bag with food and water." James admitted. McKay chose this moment to finally make a contribution to the conversation,

"Well, technically a person can go for several days without water. And even longer without food. So she's not in any immediate danger." He stated. Beckett disagreed,

"In normal situations, yes. But with her pregnancy, not to mention her sickness, she will become dehydrated much faster. Could be within the day. Especially in this warm weather." Beckett responded. Ford immediately grabbed his radio and contacted Major Sheppard to inform him of this change in the situation,

"Major Sheppard, come in," Ford said urgently, "Come in Major!"

"Yes, lieutenant, calm down." Sheppard's reply came shortly after,

"We have more information. Doc here says Rebecca is in serious danger of dehydration. We need to find her ASAP." Ford told Sheppard. There was no reply, "Major Sheppard? You there?"

"Uh, yeah, yeah. I'm on it." Sheppard finally responded. Teyla whispered to Ford, Ford relaying her request to Sheppard,

"Teyla and I are ready to come and help if you need us." Ford offered. There was a silence as Sheppard contemplated their offer.

"Yeah, I'll take you up on that. See if you can find out from the locals whether there is more than one path into the woods. When I went through the trees, I ended up on another path, parallel to the first, but the footprints were doubling back. If you can enter the woods from that path, you may be able to cut her off." Sheppard proposed.

"Roger that. See you soon sir. Oh and James here asked me to remind you that there could be other people in the woods so just...be tactful. Over and out." Ford finished the conversation. He then turned to James, who was still standing there, "so, do you know anything about another path?" James responded immediately,

"Yes, there is one that leads to the Stargate, and another that eventually leads back here. Going the other way, they both lead to meadows and then up into the mountains. She could've been originally intending to go up there but felt so unwell she decided to head back home," James guessed. Teyla replied,

"Where does the second path emerge?" she asked, looking around them.

"Right over there," James pointed the way. Teyla and Ford headed towards the direction he had indicated. McKay ran up behind them,

"Hold up, slow down. No need to rush off," he exclaimed.

"Uh yes there is. This girl could collapse from dehydration any minute," Ford retorted.

"Oh don't be so dramatic, Ford. Just…slow down. Firstly, all three of you are to be back before nightfall, with or without the girl, secondly, don't do anything stupid…" McKay lectured, before he could finish, all three of the others interrupted him with,

"McKay!"

"I think they understand, Rodney. Just let them go." Dr Beckett said calmly. He nodded to Teyla and Ford and wished them good luck. The group then split up as McKay and Beckett headed back to the village and Ford and Teyla headed into the woods.

Major Sheppard was still heading down the path, but now he was doing it at a slow jog rather than a walk. He kept an ear out for any sound that might indicate the presence of a person. He reached a corner, where this path turned off and was no longer parallel to the other path. He figured he was now heading in the direction of the village. As he came out of the turn, he noticed something lying on the ground to his left. He bent down to have a look; it was a small blue teddy bear. He thumbed his radio,

"Doc? You there?" he asked, Beckett responded promptly

"Aye, Major Sheppard. What can I do for you?" Beckett replied.

"Are you still with Rebecca's family? Can you ask them if Rebecca had a small blue teddy with her when she left?" He requested, there was a pause as Beckett relayed the question,

"Aye, it was given to her by Lieutenant Fielding. Why? Have you found it?" Beckett asked,

"Yes, she must have dropped it. Over and out." Sheppard closed out the conversation as he picked up the bear and put it into his vest pocket. He noticed that there was evidence of a scuffle from the footprints. The person had stopped and stumbled a bit before continuing on. This combined with the dropped bear worried Sheppard and he picked up the pace, jogging along the path, faster than before. He continued this pace for about 100 metres before hearing something in the bushes up ahead. He quietly walked over to the edge of the path and creeped down towards the sound, about three metres into the foliage, he could see someone. Sheppard once again entered the foliage and realised the person was retching. As he got closer, he noticed that it was a female with light brown curly hair, wearing a pale green, cotton dress. He could only see part of her as she bent over behind a tree. He came within a metre of her, and she stopped and began to turn around, using the tree for support. The young woman was crying and obviously struggling to stand up and Sheppard stepped forward, ready to help her. She looked up in surprise as she noticed his shadow on the ground. She stumbled forward, losing her balance. Sheppard immediately caught her around the shoulders and gently guided her to a log nearby, sitting her down tenderly. He then sat down next to her and pulled out his water bottle, offering it to her. She gratefully accepted it, immediately taking a few big gulps. Sheppard chastised her,

"Hey, slow down. You don't want to make yourself sick again." he warned her. He put an arm around her shoulder to keep her upright. After she had finished drinking, the young woman handed the bottle back. She was still weak, and wearily rested her head on Sheppard's chest, softly crying.

"You're Rebecca, right?" Sheppard asked. Rebecca nodded hesitantly. He continued, "My name is Major John Sheppard. I knew Lieutenant Fielding, your fiancé. I was his commanding officer," Rebecca cried harder, "I know you are mad at him for not being here for the wedding. He had every intention of being here…" before he could finish his sentence, Rebecca tearfully interrupted,

"Then why wasn't he? He promised me… well he promised me the world. But obviously he didn't love me as much as I loved him. I was just a plaything for him, something to pass the time when he was on this world." exclaimed Rebecca. Sheppard turned her around to face him and looked straight into her eyes,

"He did love you. He loved you with all his heart, that's why I'm here. He personally asked me to come and get you," Sheppard revealed. He took in a deep breath before continuing, "See, about three weeks ago, Lieutenant Fielding was involved in a battle. When trying to protect others, he was hurt. Badly hurt. There was nothing we could've done, his injuries were too extensive." Rebecca sat there in shock. Major Sheppard put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her into his chest and encouraging her to let it out. He kept hugging her as she sobbed uncontrollably.

They stayed in this position for what felt to Sheppard to be a lifetime, but was probably actually only ten minutes or so. Finally they heard the voices of Lieutenant Ford and Teyla approaching. Rebecca's head jerked up at the intrusion and she quickly sniffed and wiped her eyes. She made a move to get up and run away, but Sheppard's comforting look and reassuring arm on her shoulder convinced her not to. Weak from all the crying and her illness, she remained seated as Major Sheppard got up and stood behind her, keeping both his hands on her shoulders. He handed her a tissue and she wiped her eyes and blew her nose. By the time Ford and Teyla appeared on the path in front of them, Rebecca was a little more composed. Sheppard called out to his team-mates,

"Hey, we're over here." He called. Teyla and Ford turned towards his voice, walking into the bushes towards them. Rebecca's head was down, her hands fidgeting nervously. Ford spoke first, gently addressing Rebecca,

"Hey there, you must be Rebecca. I'm Lieutenant Ford, but you can call me Aiden." Ford introduced himself, holding out his hand. Rebecca looked up shyly, her eyes meeting Ford's. He grinned, Rebecca's face softened into a half-smile. Her gaze then turned to Teyla. Teyla also smiled before introducing herself,

"My name is Teyla Emmagan." Teyla bowed her head in greeting. Rebecca echoed the gesture before turning to look up at Sheppard.

"I guess you're going to take me back to my family now, right?" She softly asked. Sheppard nodded. Rebecca slowly got up, Sheppard waiting behind her protectively. As he'd expected, her knees collapsed. He wrapped an arm around her waist and supported her back onto the path; where Ford put his arm around her other side. Together, they all headed back towards the village. Teyla was radioing ahead to Beckett and McKay to give them the update.

Back in the inn on M7S-514, Beckett and McKay were introducing themselves to Rebecca. Before taking her to her family, something she was obviously hesitant to do, Beckett suggested he give her a quick check-up to make sure her health and the baby's were still in optimum condition. He took all her vitals and asked her questions about the pregnancy. After he'd finished this basic examination, he turned to Sheppard,

"There isn't much more I can do here. I need my equipment back on Atlantis for a more thorough examination." Beckett disclosed. "But I can tell you that although she is a little dehydrated and also physically and emotionally exhausted, there shouldn't be any long-term effects, on her or the baby. As for the extreme sickness, well it seems to be more related to her highly emotional state rather than any physical problems. The best thing to do now is get her home to her family so she can get some rest and some much-needed TLC. Then, with the permission of her parents, I'd like to take her back to Atlantis to do a proper pre-natal check-up." Beckett packed up his equipment and stood back, allowing Sheppard to speak to Rebecca.

"Rebecca, we're going to take you back home now. Your family is very worried about you but they promise that they will not smother you. You really need to have a good meal and get some sleep. We'll stay here in the inn overnight and then tomorrow we'll pick you up and take you to Atlantis so Dr Beckett here can run some tests. How does that sound?" Sheppard asked tenderly. Rebecca nodded, before taking a deep breath and standing up, ready to return to home. But before she did, Sheppard handed her something, she looked in her hand to see her precious teddy. She smiled fondly, the teddy giving her the confidence to walk out of the safe zone of the inn and face her parents.

As soon as the group neared Rebecca's home, her mother came running out the door and swept her up into a hug. Both of them were crying as Lila told her daughter how worried they had all been. Rebecca kept apologising and seemed to expect reprimand. Lila reassured her with more hugs and kisses before leading her inside where she was eagerly greeted by her father and Uncle James. The family invited the Atlantis team to stay but for dinner but they declined, understanding the need for the family to have privacy. They made the arrangements for Rebecca to go back to Atlantis back with them the next day and agreed to meet at the house first thing the next morning.

The Atlantis team woke up early the next morning, eager to return to Atlantis and introduce Rebecca to Dr. Weir. After a quick breakfast, they headed over to the Martin's house. The door was opened by a smiling and much more relaxed Rebecca. She informed that she and her family had been discussing the situation and she felt much more comfortable with what was going on. She admitted that she was shaken by the news of Adam's death but was confident that she would pull through for the sake of their unborn baby. They met up with her parents and Uncle James in the family room and shared friendly greetings. James was the first to begin the goodbyes,

"Well Becky, have fun and be safe." He said, "I know you'll wow them." He added with an encouraging grin and cuddle. Rebecca grinned back, a special moment passing between the uncle and niece; it was obvious to the Atlantis team that they were close. James then left the room to get Rebecca's bag from her room. Lila and Tom grabbed Rebecca in a group hug and kept kissing her head. She blushed, embarrassed at the overdramatic reception. The Atlantis team smiled fondly, feeling lucky to witness so much love. Eventually they broke the hug and reluctantly handed Rebecca over to Major Sheppard and Dr Beckett. Tears poured down Rebecca's face as she walked away with the Atlantis team, turning around to wave goodbye to her family. She had a sinking feeling in her stomach as she walked further and further away from them.

It only took an hour to say goodbye to the rest of the village and be back at the puddle jumper ready to head through the Stargate. Sheppard looked back at a nervous Rebecca sitting in the back, next to Dr. Beckett,

"You ready?" he asked her. She inhaled deeply before answering,

"No, not really. I don't feel so good. The last time I went through the Stargate, I was sick for two hours. And that was after passing out. Plus, there's this sinking feeling in my stomach, but I'm sure that's just excitement." Rebecca revealed. Dr Beckett rubbed her back reassuringly,

"You'll be alright, love. We're right here. We've radioed ahead and they'll be prepared to get you to the infirmary straight away and I'll look after you personally. And I'm sure Major Sheppard won't leave your side in a hurry." Dr Beckett said comfortingly. Major Sheppard gave Rebecca a grin, letting her know Dr Beckett was right. He then started up the puddle jumper and they took off. It wasn't long before they reached the Stargate and Major Sheppard prepared to go through. Rebecca was already looking queasy and she moaned, McKay noticed,

"The inertial dampeners should reduce the effect of the Stargate. You only have to worry about Major Sheppard's flying." McKay cracked, Major Sheppard turned around to give him a mock glare. The humour seemed to make Rebecca feel a little better and she attempted to smile. Right at this moment, Major Sheppard flew the puddle jumper through the Stargate.

At the other end, in the puddle jumper bay, Dr. Weir was waiting anxiously, having been informed of the delicate situation. Beside her were various medical personnel with a gurney and equipment that Dr. Beckett had requested, ready to take Rebecca to the infirmary for tests and possible treatment. The Stargate dialled up and the puddle jumper came flying through, zooming straight up to the jumper bay and landing smoothly. The back door opened immediately and two medical personnel rushed in with a gurney, ready to transport Rebecca to the infirmary. She was still conscious but a little uneasy; she stood up with the help of Dr. Beckett and took a step towards the gurney. She just made it onto the gurney and leant on it. Sheppard came up beside her and took her hand in his.

"So, how do you feel?" he asked. Rebecca managed a smile before taking a deep breath.

"Actually I think I feel okay." She said, stepping away from the gurney and towards the back door, "whoa, whoops" she cried out as her knees collapsed from under her and she once again fell into Sheppard's waiting arms. He helped her up onto the gurney and lay her down. He smiled at her and grasped her hand as Beckett and his waiting personnel wheeled her out of the puddle jumper.

Several hours later, Major Sheppard and Dr Weir were deep in conversation as they walked down a hallway. Major Sheppard was briefing Dr Weir on Rebecca,

"The doc said both she and the baby are fine. He worked his magic and she's asleep right now." He informed her, as they turned a corner and bumped into Lieutenant Roberts. The young Lieutenant saluted his superiors,

"Ma'am, sir. I heard you got Rebecca here safely. How is she?" he asked Major Sheppard.

"She'll be fine, Lieutenant. Thank you for your help." Major Sheppard replied, smiling. He bowed his head as his earpiece crackled to life and Dr. Beckett's voice came through,

"Major Sheppard, our young patient is awake and she's becoming quite distressed. She's insisting to speak to you immediately." Dr Beckett said urgently. Major Sheppard farewelled Lieutenant Roberts and he and Dr Weir set off for the infirmary.

"We're on our way, doc." said Major Sheppard into his own radio. They jogged towards the infirmary, hearing the commotion before they saw it. Major Sheppard burst into the door and saw Rebecca trying to get out of bed and Dr. Beckett holding her down and trying to reason with her, rather unsuccessfully,

"Rebecca, you need to stay here and rest. You'll pull out the IV with all this fuss. You need those fluids." Argued Dr Beckett as he struggled to restrain her. Major Sheppard strode across the room in a few steps, and in one swift move, had Rebecca safely enclosed in his arms and whilst she was still struggling, she was unable to move. Major Sheppard looked to Dr Beckett for an explanation,

"So doc, what's going on?" questioned Sheppard, still contending with the squirming body struggling in his arms. Dr Beckett shrugged, he was as clueless as Major Sheppard. Rebecca mumbled as she attempted to escape Major Sheppard's grasp,

"Something's happened, I know it has. You have to let me go back. My family, they're in danger." Her voice was rising to a feverish pitch. "I must go back. I have to be with them. They need me. I just know something's wrong. Let me go, I have to go, please." The last words came out in a sob. She pleaded with Major Sheppard, imploring him to help her. Major Sheppard looked down at her in shock,

"What are you talking about? They're fine. Ford just spoke to them an hour ago and informed them you'd arrived okay." said Sheppard soothingly. Rebecca's deep blue eyes looked deep into Sheppard's dark hazel eyes as she searched for truth. Behind Sheppard, Dr Weir spoke up,

"Major Sheppard is right, they communicated through the MALP you left behind. When you're ready to leave the infirmary, we can take you to the control room to speak to them yourself." Dr Weir made the offer. Rebecca tore her eyes away from Major Sheppard and turned to Dr Beckett,

"Let me do that now. I'll come straight back, I promise. Please, just let me speak to them." Rebecca clutched at Sheppard's jacket. Sheppard looked to Beckett, shrugging his shoulders. Beckett sighed, before relenting.

"'Alright lassie, just calm down a bit. I'll let you go. But you have to keep your IV in and Major Sheppard will push you in a wheelchair. Deal?" he offered. Rebecca nodded eagerly and began to get out of the bed. Major Sheppard helped her into the wheelchair as Beckett wheeled around the IV stand. Then all four of them headed out of the infirmary and down the corridors toward the control room.

In the control room, Lieutenant Ford and Peter Grodin were discussing the mission and the prospects of meeting a girl themselves, when Dr Weir's voice came through their radio earpieces,

"Peter, can you please dial up M7S-514. Rebecca would like to speak to her parents. We're on our way." Dr Weir informed Peter. Peter and Lieutenant Ford jumped up to follow the order and moved over to the dialling computers where Peter looked up the address for M7S-514. Just as he found it and Ford was pushing the appropriate buttons, the others entered the control room. Peter turned to greet them just as the Stargate locked in and the puddle exploded out. He opened a laptop to connect to the MALP. Rebecca looked up at Sheppard expectantly,

"So, when can I speak to them?" she asked. Sheppard gestured to Peter, who turned the laptop screen towards her,

"We can do better than that. There's a camera on the MALP, once we make contact, they can stand in front of the camera and you'll be able to see them." Peter explained as he typed commands into the laptop, Ford was the one to make the radio contact again,

"James, you there? Its Lieutenant Ford again. Rebecca would like to speak to you." He said calmly. There was no response. Ford repeated himself several times; Rebecca was getting more and more anxious. Sheppard interrupted Ford's broadcast,

"Grodin, can you bring up the visuals on the MALP." Sheppard demanded. Peter continued to type commands into the laptop, this time attempting to bring up the MALP's camera,

"Yes sir, we should have visual…now." He announced as he put the laptop on the desk in front of Rebecca. Her eyes widen as she takes in the scene unfolding in front of her,

"It's the Wraith! The Wraith are there! Mum! Dad! Uncle James!" she cried as the others snatched the laptop away from her and look for themselves. Sheppard cursed as he realised that Rebecca is right.

"She's right. There's the transport beam right there. Grodin, pan the camera up." He demanded as Peter followed his order, "And there are the ships." Everyone's shoulders slumped as they realised the ramifications of his observation. Rebecca's eyes filled with tears again before anger took over. She tried to jump out of the wheelchair but Beckett was waiting and held her back.

"It's too late now. There's nothing you can do." He said soothingly, as Rebecca sobbed in his arms. Beckett gestured to Major Sheppard to help him calm Rebecca down as he left the room. Dr Weir crossed over and stood next to Peter, staring at the laptop screen and pondering their next move. Lieutenant Ford gaped at the screen in shock before leaning over to whispering in Major Sheppard's ear,

"Should we try and help them?" he asked softly. Sheppard, who was still comforting Rebecca, shook his head before whispering to Ford that it was too late and there was noting they could do. Ford's head dropped with resignation. Rebecca clutched onto Sheppard's shirt, tears pouring down her face. Her eyes looked up at Sheppard's and he could see the utter devastation reflected back at him. She kept murmuring that everyone was leaving her. Ford came over and hugged her tightly, letting her feel his warm, secure embrace. As he turned to give her back to Sheppard, she caught another glance at the screen showing the destruction of her planet. She attempted to jump out of the wheelchair once again, reaching for something, anything to grab hold of that would help her. Sheppard and Ford gently held her down; she slumped back in the chair, feeling powerless and defeated. At this moment, Dr Beckett came back with a needle filled with sedative and injected it into Rebecca's arm. Her eyes went empty as she fell limp into Sheppard's arms.

_4 days later_

Rebecca was standing on the balcony looking over Atlantis and watching the sunset. Her dark blue eyes were still red from crying on and off for the past four days. She leant her forearms on the railing and sighed, her shoulders falling heavily. Major Sheppard walked out, and put his hand on her shoulder,

"Hey there." His heart fell as he saw the heartbreaking expression on Rebecca's face. "A team just returned from your planet. I'm really sorry but no-one in your village survived. Most of the people took shelter in the inn and the people that weren't taken by the Wraith died in a fire caused by the wraith darts." Rebecca's eyes filled with tears again,

"What happens to me? What's left for me now? There's nothing." She sobbed, turning away from Sheppard, "I'm all alone." She broke down, burying her head in her hands. Sheppard lifted her face tenderly and turned her shoulders towards him, looking deep into her eyes,

"You have me. Not to mention the entire Atlantis base. We're all right behind you. And hey, you've got your gorgeous baby to look forward to." He said, gesturing towards her growing belly. Rebecca looked down at her stomach, stroking it gently. She rubbed both her hands over it and, after a few seconds of reflection, looked up at Sheppard and gave him a small smile. Sheppard pulled her in to his chest and they enjoyed the sunrise together. As Rebecca buried her head in his shirt, Sheppard whispered,

"Well, Fielding, I fulfilled the promise. But none of us knew just how much I'd be saving her from. She'll be fine now, I promise you."

THE END.


End file.
